


Starting Anew

by Huntress79



Category: Black Panther (2018), Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: 100 Words of a Hero, Drabbles, Gen, superhero_land
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-15
Updated: 2019-05-15
Packaged: 2020-03-05 23:52:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 808
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18839347
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Huntress79/pseuds/Huntress79
Summary: The world is ready to start again, but Shuri isn't, at least not at the Center in Oakland. Good thing she has a friend and confidante at her side.





	Starting Anew

**Author's Note:**

> Set after "Avengers: Endgame" (with the mention of one small spoiler). Written for **[superhero_land](https://superhero-land.livejournal.com/)** 's Challenge **["100 Words Of A Hero"](https://superhero-land.livejournal.com/62426.html)**. My pre-chosen characters are Shuri and James "Bucky" Barnes, as I love the one mid-credit scene from "Black Panther" to pieces and simply want more of them together.

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**_ Learn _ **

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Learning always came easy to her. From the moment she could read on, there weren’t many moments where she couldn’t be found with a book in her hand. When you live in a country like Wakanda, sheltered (in a literally sense) from the rest of the world, you have to explore that rest in a different way. And for a long time, Shuri didn’t differ or made exceptions for what she was reading. Romance novels, history books, biographies – both her parents and her brother made sure she always had new stuff to “devour”, as Nakia once called it upon witnessing.

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**_ Teach _ **

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Fast forward several years, and after a few turbulent times, Shuri now was in Oakland, California, and absolutely not ready to do what her brother expected from her – teaching the citizens of the USA about the advanced technologies of Wakanda. Now that T’Challa as the new king had decided to give up the country’s isolation, outreach centers were opened all over the world. Knowing her “love” for the US and Western culture in general, he saw it fitting for her to be the driving force in Oakland. Besides, he reasoned with a smile, Silicon Valley was just around the corner.

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**_ Calm _ **

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“You’re gonna blow them all away with your personality alone,” a new voice came from the doorway to her office, and Shuri looked up to see a man standing there she never, ever thought to call a friend – Bucky Barnes, technically about a century old, but thanks to the super-soldier serum HYDRA gave him still looking as mid-30. When Cap and T’Challa brought him to her lab, telling her about the danger the programming could cause, she was both angry and scared. But now, all his calm appearance brought was the much-anticipated stability Shuri all but craved in that moment.

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**_ Reassure _ **

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“You think so, Bucky?” Shuri asked while getting up from behind the desk and gathering her papers. “Absolutely,” the former assassin gave back, and when Shuri locked her gaze with his blue orbs, all she could read in them was pure reassurance. Back when she first told him about the idea of her brother, Bucky only did listen to her when she rambled about it. But after all the terrible fighting with Thanos and Cap’s disappearance, he became bolder, challenging her and her intellect to come up with new ideas on how to present certain technologies to the US folks.

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**_ Start _ **

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“You’re ready tot get this party started, Princess?” Bucky asked with a wink. From what Cap had told her while Bucky’s cryofreeze, the “old” Bucky was quite a ladies man, and while Shuri knew that the man next to her would never, ever be able to be that guy from before WWII again, she was sure that she could see at least glimpses of that old, flirty personality shining through his “new” appearance. And Okoye once joked that it was a shame that Bucky was a man – he definitely would have made a very good member of the Dora Milaje.

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**_ Model _ **

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“And what if those people waiting out there don’t believe what I say about Wakandian technology?” Shuri asked while the pair was making their way over to the large conference room of the Center, where politicians, reporter and other selected people were waiting for her. “If they really don’t believe you,” Bucky began while opening a door for her, “what I don’t think will happen, get me up on the stage to you.” Shuri’s answer was a raised eyebrow. For emphasis, Bucky raised his metal left arm. “If nothing else, this one here will definitely do the job of convincing.”

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**_ Worry _ **

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After the whole presentation was over and Shuri was almost falling asleep on her feet after all the small talk she did, Bucky made sure that the princess made it to the little apartment she had in a separate wing of the building. As it turned out, Bucky’s assistance on stage wasn’t needed at all, and Shuri had worried for nothing. Sure, some of the guests might need a second presentation to completely get on board, but all in all, the evening was a full success. And Bucky would win every bet that it was all due to the princess.

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**_ Guard _ **

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Arriving at her apartment (which was technically his as well, as he was acting as her bodyguard), Bucky more or less carried Shuri to her bedroom, deposing her on the spacious bed as gentle as possible. He always had a huge respect for women like her, and even though their start was anything but good, with Bucky being the main suspect of her father’s murder, he was thankful to God for being sent to her and her country. In another time, he might even consider courting her, but for now, Bucky was happy with being her guard, confidante and friend. 


End file.
